Photography museums in the Czech lands

The past

The idea of setting up a photographic centre, house or museum in our country is amongst the oldest because their platform and usefulness is quite evident. The first attempts to establish a photography museum came as early as during the 19th century. For a long time, at the institutions and large exhibitions, photography was perceived as part of the printing trade, and amateur photography was considered a pastime. The definite change in perceiving the meaning and role of photography came about with the exhibition „One Hundred Years of Czech Photography“ in 1939 which showed photography in its whole context - from its use in science to its artistic form, from a trade to a method of communication. After 1948 many photographic archives and documents were delapidated, and the museums, archives and landmark buildings had only a marginal interest in photography. The first nationwide collection of art photography was founded at the Moravian Gallery in 1962. The fathers of the idea of a modern photography museum – already called the National Museum of Photography – were Erich Einhorn and Rudolf Skopec in 1960. The idea of a Museum of Photography and Cinematography was nearly accomplished – all the way to the architectonic project – in Tábor during the early 90´s, as was a similar idea of Anna Fárová in Vinohrady, Prague. Various centres of photography whose importance exceeded their regions were founded as early as the end of the 80´s (The Prague House of Photography, Gallery 4 in Cheb). In the enthusiasm of the 90´s a profusion of associations with an interest in photography were established (The Czech Photo, The Photography Centre and others.)

The Museum of Photography in Jindřichův Hradec

The founding of the photography museum in Jindřichův Hradec was initiated by a civic association called the Museum of Photography, registered on the 1st of February 1999. This civic association, founded upon the initiative of members of the administrative board of the Photographers Association, was purposely joined by other prestigious photography-related groups - The Chamber of Photographic Trades and the Photography Department of FAMU, which had their representatives in the civic association. It was at the very congress of this Chamber in Jindřichův Hradec when the first meeting took place with the town´s mayor, regarding how to make use of the Jesuit College building for the needs of the photography museum. Subsequently, the publicly beneficial association, the National Museum of Photography was established by the town of Jindřichův Hradec and the civic association, the Museum of Photography. The official start of the activities of the Museum of Photography in Jindřichův Hradec, attended by many important persons, took place on the 21st of June 2002. A salutory message to the museum by Václav Havel was read.

Thanks to the understanding of the town council and the city hall, the former building of the Jesuit College is being generously reconstructed for the needs of the museum. The first reconstructed premises were opened on the 23rd of March 2004, and the whole ground floor will be made accessible to the public A complete reconstruction of the other two floors will follow.
The future perspectives of the National Museum of Photography

The National Museum of Photography originated from the need to establish a photographic institution that had been sorely lacking in the Czech Republic. But a museum must be alive, it must reflect the requirements of the computer age, dominated by the internet - it must be up-to-date as an institution whose activities will attract the attention of both the layman as well as the professional public. The artistic and technical developments in the field of visual media is very rapid and a sophisticated exhibitiongoer is not satisfied with a two-dimentional static photographic picture, but he should perceive exhibitions as a mutual merging of „technological images“. A modern presentation should be interactive, in the sense that the visitor is not just a passive viewer, but himself can exert his own interests and vocations. A good example is actually taking pictures in a historic studio with props on one side, and entertainingly educational touch display panels on the other side. The activities of the museum should attract well-earned interest and respect, and should provide a base for cooperation with partners at home and abroad. This cooperation should lead towards improving the prestige of photography in the Czech Republic and towards a more systematic care for this still slightly neglected cultural heritage.

Pavel Scheufler